The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle in the event of a side impact to the vehicle and/or a vehicle rollover.
It is known to inflate an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device to help protect a vehicle occupant in the event of a vehicle collision. One particular type of inflatable vehicle occupant protection device is an inflatable curtain that inflates from the roof of the vehicle downward inside the passenger compartment in the event of a side impact or a vehicle rollover. The inflatable curtain, when inflated, is positioned between a vehicle occupant and the side structure of the vehicle. A known inflatable curtain is inflated by inflation fluid directed from an inflator to the inflatable curtain through a fill tube.
The present invention relates to an apparatus for helping to protect an occupant of a vehicle that has a side structure and a roof. The apparatus includes an inflatable vehicle occupant protection device that is inflatable away from the vehicle roof into a position between the side structure of the vehicle and a vehicle occupant.
The inflatable vehicle occupant protection device includes an inflatable front portion having a generally triangular configuration and an inflatable main portion positioned rearward of the front portion. The front portion includes a forward edge, a rear edge, and a bottom edge. The front portion is in fluid communication with the main portion via a first inflation fluid passage positioned adjacent the bottom edge of the front portion.
The front portion includes a plurality of inflatable chambers. The chambers have a generally tapered configuration with a narrow end and an opposite wide end. The narrow end is positioned near an intersection of the forward edge and the rear edge of the front portion. The wide end is positioned near the bottom edge of the front portion.
The apparatus also includes an inflation fluid source that is actuatable to provide inflation fluid for inflating the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device. The inflation fluid source when actuated directs inflation fluid into the main portion to inflate the main portion. The first inflation fluid passage directs inflation fluid from the main portion into the front portion to inflate the front portion. The chambers of the front portion when inflated contract in a direction transverse to the length of the chambers and help to tension the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device along the length of the inflatable vehicle occupant protection device.